From: ShadowHalo17 | #027
Once again, Palpatine threw the fight, it's called strategy, if he had wanted to win, he would have done so quite quickly, but then Anakin wouldn't have turned to the Dark Side as a result.
I don't think he could have legit beaten Windu. He's better at the Force and his Force Lightning was crazy good but everything was negated by the lightsaber. He may have gotten stronger in the OT, but that fight in 3 was legit.